Texas' redistricting fight will have a round in San Antonio federal court this afternoon, as several minority rights and Democratic groups mount a challenge to the state's interim redistricting maps.

The forthcoming courtroom bout was preceded by a federal judicial panel in Washington, D.C., rejecting the redistricting maps originally passed by the Texas Legislature.

In an opinion signed by all three judges, Judge Thomas Griffith wrote that the Legislature's maps were rejected because the panel found evidence they were crafted with discriminatory intent and would reduce minority voting strength.

While those maps never took affect, the maps drawn by a three-judge panel in San Antonio are largely similar to the now-rejected maps drawn by the Legislature.

However, with the deadline to mail ballots for the November election rapidly approaching, legal experts believe that tight timeline may prevent the judges from making any significant changes current maps.